


I'll Come Back To You

by Avengedeathnote



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Keyblade War, Keyblade Wielders - Freeform, No Slash, Not Canon Compliant - Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, Riku is the main character, Riku needs hugs, Spoilers - Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, Spoilers - Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance, Ventus is Ventus, Wayfinder Trio, Well some
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-21
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-02 16:06:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5254658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avengedeathnote/pseuds/Avengedeathnote
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary: During the battle with Young Xehanort something goes wrong. Now Riku has to find a way to get back to his own time realm, with the help of the Wayfinder trio. Would they be able to get back in time to save Sora from Xehanort’s clutches? [First fic!]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dark Times

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guy's!  
> So this is my first fic to post and I hope you like it! I swear this plot bunny was eating away at me so I just had to write it! ;-(\
> 
> IMPORTANT EDIT; PLEASE READ THE NOTE I MADE THAT IS CHAPTER SIX OF THE STORY, IT WILL SAVE YOU A LOT OF TIME

Riku held his breath as Young Xehanort once again made a giant clock appear in the middle of the battlefield, going backwards as it rewinded back to the start of the battle.

“I can’t let him rewind this whole battle again” Riku thought, feeling the slight weariness from the last match when he didn’t destroy that treacherous thing the first time. Riku closed his eyes and breathed in deeply before opening them again as he started to levitate off the ground, preparing for his most powerful move. “Dark splicer!” Riku yelled out and instantly teleported where the young Seeker of Darkness was.

Said person couldn’t help but move out of the way in order to avoid the series of strong blows, which lead for an opening on the backwards clock. Blow after blow the clock started to crack and show signs of breaking, which made Riku smirk and the youth grit his teeth. “You’re finished!” Riku called out as he made the final attack that will end the battle once and for all.

“ENOUGH!” Young Xehanort furiously yelled out, teleporting in front of the teen to block the final attack. His eyes were a dangerous color of rich gold, obviously meaning he was angered by the almost defeat. With all his might he pushed the keyblade wielder off him and stood in an offensive posture as if he was about to attack then stopped short. Riku couldn’t help but feel a nervous jitter gnaw at him from the inside as the antihero smirked and brought a hand up, stopping the clock and ridding of it. Riku landed a few feet away from him safely, slightly confused but keeping a steady glare on the youth.

“I will not let you interfere with the process of the new vessel” Young Xehanort eerily said, frightening calm despite the advantage Riku had on the man. Suddenly, tendrils of darkness appeared on the persons being, creating a flame like detail on the grey haired man. Slowly, Xehanort raised a hand out as the darkness followed the movement, giving an intimidating look on him. Riku felt a slight coolness at his feet and looked down only to gasp at the sight as the same darkness surrounding the entity began to swirl around his feet and tried to jump away but was stuck in place. The darkness continued to grow on him, but unlike the black-purplish color of hated darkness, it also had started to take on the soft color of glowing blue that clashed right in with the darkness.

“What’s…happening to me?” Riku whispered, fatigue slowly catching up to him as he struggled uselessly against the darkness that trapped him. Turquoise eyes meet the golden eyes of the antagonists before him, glaring daggers at the man before him.

“I honestly don’t understand why you still fight for that boy” Xehanort said suddenly, lowering his hand and ignoring the puzzled expression laying on the teens face obviously catching him off guard with the random statement “He’s obviously just a weak-hearted fool, never destined to wield the keyblade”. Riku seethed with anger at the jab to his best friend and sharply spat out “Sora’s heart is the strongest out of all of us! He may somehow stray from his path but that’s what i’m here for –to guide him back to the light!”.

Young Xehanort looked at him coolly, an analyzing and slightly exasperated expression on his face. “Light” he mused, as if it was some joke “Your friend no longer belongs in the light, as we speak even with the magic spell your king casted his heart falls deeper into the dark abyss –taking it’s rightful place”. The youth looks up at the sky for a moment, as if he was pondering over his next choice of words before looking back at the silver haired teen, outstretching his hand once more.

“If you disturb the awakening of the 13th vessel” Young Xehanort said maliciously “You are no fit to stay in the same presence and world we breathe on”. Young Xehanort then closed his outstretched hand into fist and instantly Riku felt a tight, painful feeling in his chest as the blueish light on him brightened blindly causing him to give a short yelp at the sudden action, shutting his eyes from the bright light coming from himself. Riku cracked a small opening in his vision and could barely see the grey-haired youth before him, smirking slightly.

“The closer you walk towards the light” Xehanort stated almost inaudibly “Strengthens the hidden darkness inside of you!”. The youth’s expression suddenly turned into a hateful look, a sneer replacing his smirking feature. “BEGONE” Young Xehanort growled, his voice changing as if two people were talking at the same time while his eyes dangerously glowed.

Riku could no longer see the man in front of him, the strange light blinding him as his chest felt like it was being ripped apart from the inside. He didn’t know if he was screaming or not –all he could focus on was that he failed at protecting Sora. “Sora…” Riku thought “I’m sorry”.

As the scene became calm again, Riku disappeared out of plain sight, leaving no trace of his presence anywhere.

He was gone.


	2. Past of the Present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, sorry for the wait! This chapter may seem a bit boring just to let you know, the beginning is mostly just a novelization of Birth by Sleep. Anyways, enjoy!

10 years back…

Ventus sighed and lay back down on the ground after the meteor shower had ended, ready to fall back asleep when suddenly a head with blue hair filled his vision.

“Woah!” Ventus exclaimed, startled from the surprise intrusion in his alone time– although he didn’t mind of course. Ventus sat up and faced aqua who giggled at his reaction. “Gimme a break, Aqua” Ventus said, pouting a bit as Aqua straightened from the uncomfortable crouch she was in before.

“Ven, you hopeless sleepyhead” Aqua teased “You know you should have at least brought a blanket”. Ventus smiled at the motherly concern, she was always watching out for him. “But– Did I dream that place up?” Ventus asked suddenly, thinking about the vision he seen earlier. It was so weird, wrapped up in a blanket he was pointing at the sky with the keyblade in hand at a mysterious island. It was like he was actually there. “It really felt like I’d been there before… looking up at the stars…” Ventus said trailing off, still in deep thought. Ventus gave a little sigh as dainty hands ruffled his hair as Aqua laughed once more.

“ ‘Cept you always lived here with us” Aqua stated, a soft smile on her face. Ventus looked down and couldn’t help but frown slightly. “Yeah…” he said before looking back up smiling, “I know”. Ventus then stood up and walked over to the edge of the floating island they were on as Aqua followed his movement before both sat down, looking at the stars.

“Hey Aqua!” Ventus suddenly exclaimed. Aqua turned her head towards him, acknowledging him with a small hum. “Y’ever wonder what stars are? Where lights come from?” Ventus asked. Aqua thought about it for a while before turning her head back at the view. “Hmm… well they say–”

“That every star up there is another world” Someone said from behind, finishing Aqua’s sentence for her. Both people turned around as a tall man in long pants and long brown hair walked towards them, a smile on all their faces. 

“Terra” Aqua said fondly. “Yep, hard to believe there are so many worlds out there besides our own.” Terra said walking closer to them “The light is their hearts, and it’s shining down on us like a million lanterns” Ventus gave a slightly confused look before asking “What? I don’t get it”. “In other words, they’re just like you, Ven” Terra answered. Still confused, Ventus stood up to walk towards the tall man and once again asked “What does THAT mean?”. Terra smiled softly at the clueless boy in front of him before saying “You’ll find out someday, I’m sure”. Determined to find out what it was Ventus stomps his foot once and crosses his arms. “I wanna know now” Ventus exclaimed.

Aqua watched amusedly as the two boys bickered on and couldn’t help but laugh a little. Terra noticed and called out “Hey, what are you laughing at?”. “I can’t help it” Aqua mused “You two would make the weirdest brothers”. Aqua laughed again as the duo stood dumbfounded at the statement before laughing along with her. The trio then sat down next to each other talking about the upcoming “Mark of Mastery” exam both Terra and Aqua are taking. Aqua proceeds to give each person a lucky charm which symbols the star shaped fruit she heard of that grows on a special island. “...technically I think it’s suppose to be made out of seashells but I did the best with what I had” Aqua finished, somewhat proud of what she did. Terra was about to make a playful remark on the whole topic when something bright flashes in the sky, catching the three’s attention. 

“Sweet!” Ventus exclaimed “It’s another meteor shower!”. The trio watched as it passed on but soon something seemed to be very odd about it. “Umm… I don’t think that’s another meteor strike” Aqua stated backing up slightly as it suddenly began to look like it was getting closer to the three. Terra too noticed and grabbed Ventus’s arm “We have to go” Terra said suddenly pulling backwards at Ventus’s arm. Ventus, being the gullible boy he is pulled back before asking “What? Why? This one looks special, not like the others i’ve seen!”. The ‘meteor’ continued to come closer to them, now obviously taking shape into something else that is not rock-like. “Exactly, that’s why we have to go now” Aqua said nervously now before gasping at how close it was “Everybody get down!”.

Terra once again grabbed onto the boy’s arm before jumping into a safe distance behind the stone bench as Aqua followed suit. The ‘meteor’ then strangely start to slow down as it faced land but still landed roughly, making a loud noise and having the thing skid a few feet away from where it landed and was now smoking slightly. 

After a few moments to know if the situation is safe Terra stood up from where his along with Ventus. Aqua stood a few feet away, staring at the small crater ahead of them. “What… was that?” Aqua asked quietly, keyblade already in hand.

Terra was about to respond when a low groan made the hairs on their neck stand up. Everyone faced the source of the sound as they all saw small movements coming from thing in front of them as it slowly stood up.

 

Riku opened his eyes slowly, his head pounding as smoke was all around him. “What… just happened?” Riku thought, giving a low groan as his headache increased. He felt beat up, like the heartless he faced in Notre Dame had stomped on him multiple times with all his might. Riku bit his lip as he slowly sat up from his position and tried to look around but couldn’t with all the smoke. Where was he?

Riku fully stood up, adrenaline now pumping in his body. Where, in fact, was he? All he remembered before blacking out was facing young Xehanort–. Riku’s eyes widened slightly and he put a hand up to his chest, fear creeping in his spine. Was he dead? Did he die and was stuck in the horrible abyss Xehanort was talking about? Or worse–.

“Hey!” A manly voice called out. Riku jumped slightly and turned around, fists clenched. Summoning his keyblade didn’t really come to his mind as he saw three figures a few feet away from him, if he squinted through the smoke. “Who’s there? Show yourself!” the voice called out again, this time more angry.

“Are you okay?” Said a different voice, more higher but still recognizable as a boy “You can come out, we won’t hurt you!”. A different voice was heard but Riku didn’t quite catch it since it was speaking in such a low voice. Riku decided to take his time and think about the situation while calming down. So he’s stuck in wherever he is, tired and weak, while three figures were surrounding him with no way out. Hey at least he wasn’t consumed by darkness again.

“This is your last chance! Come out or we’ll attack!” the same voice yelled out and Riku’s head started pounding again at the noise. The smoke was starting to dissipate so either way they would see him. Riku made a decision and stepped out in the open, his hands raised in hopes of showing that he was no threat.

What he saw surprised the young teen. Instead of a dark abyss he thought he was in he was actually on a small island, a floating one too as mountains surrounded the view. Riku looked up to see a starry night, the stars shining brightly down at him as if welcoming his presence. He then looked back at the three figures he saw and kept a steady look to all of them, analyzing them as silence filled the tense area. 

One of them was a tall man, his slight spiky long hair the color of a dark brown that clashed with his blue eyes. The stranger had long baggy trousers on and a dark grey shirt with an X on it. Some type of metal or armor Riku didn’t recognize was on the man’s left shoulder that covered almost his whole arm and hand.

On the far left of himself was a woman with striking blue hair who wore a blue tank top with a similar pink X, only it was across her chest. A white jacket wrapped around her waist, covering her black shorts while matching her sleeves (strangely they weren’t connected to her shirt, which Riku thought was odd).

Finally Riku looked at the boy in the middle and couldn’t help but widen his eyes and freeze up a bit. The boy seemed to be around his age, but what was the most surprising for him was how familiar he looked. The same style of hair, color, the eyes. Before Riku could control himself he heard him blurt out “Roxas? What are you doing here?”

The Roxas look alike furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Roxas? Who’s that? My name’s Ventus!” Ventus said. The two others glared at him slightly, the blue haired woman quietly chastised him, before looking back the unknown guest, caution in their eyes. Riku sighed, closing his eyes briefly before opening them again. “I’m not a threat, if that’s what you’re wondering”.

The tall one glared at him slightly “How do we know that? What if you’re secretly here to destroy us all?” He said, stepping forward. Riku put his hands down slowly, wanting to just go already “I’m not, I just got lost, I don’t even know where I am” Riku said truthfully. What was the point of lying? He’d probably get in more trouble.

Riku noticed the woman frown a bit and caught the side glance she gave to Ventus that was so quick he wondered if he imagined it. “Look, can you just tell me where I am and I’ll be on my way… i’m not here to cause trouble.” Riku said, trying to reason with the three. Now fully calm, Riku was starting to worry a bit. Sora was in the Organization’s clutches, Mickey will have to face them all alone, and he was stuck in an unknown place with three strangers.

Riku examined the situation more and once again was shocked. The three people had keyblades. How Riku hadn’t noticed that amazed him. Great Riku thought Not only don’t they trust me but they’re obviously wielders, it’s gonna be tough getting past them.

Suddenly, a movement caught Riku’s eyes behind the trio making him curious. The movement took form and a thing that looked similar to a heartless appeared and was getting ready to attack the tall man from behind. His eyes widened slightly as he opened his mouth to yell out “Watch out behind you!”

The man quickly turned around and saw the heartless-thing come at him and he quickly brought his keyblade up to hit it with full force, reducing it to smithereens. After that, a whole group of the things popped up, surrounding the four keyblade wielders.

The woman’s eyes widened “Unversed!” She yelled out, taking out one that tried to jump her on the side “Ven! Take the boy with you and get out of here!”. Ventus only replied by readying his fighting stance. “No way, Aqua! I’m going to fight alongside with you guys!” Ven exclaimed, striking an unversed across the head making it disappear. Riku also followed suit, taking out his own Keyblade Way to Dawn. “You guys look like you might need help anyways” Riku stated, slightly ticked off from being called a boy. ‘I can’t look that young’ Riku thought, slashing at a Unversed that tried to come from behind.

The trio’s eyes widened at Riku as they fought against the creatures. “You have a Keyblade?!” Ventus exclaimed loudly, for a moment forgetting about the situation, just barely managing to block the attack an Unversed tried to discreetly lay on the distracted boy. Terra gave a side glance at Riku, a spark of something in the man’s eyes Riku couldn’t make out before focusing back to the main problem.

 

After several minutes passed by the Unversed seemed to dissipate, leaving a tired group of wielders, panting loudly in exhaustion. Riku forced himself to hold back a groan as he kneeled on the ground, the strain in his muscles practically throbbing plus how he was already tired from arriving before the fight. A gruff hand landed on his shoulder and Riku looked behind him to see the man he was talking to before, an unreadable expression in his eyes but also held a small smile in his face.

“You fight well” he said offering a hand to help him up, “Who taught you how to use the Keyblade?”. Riku returned the smile and stuck out his own hand, letting the brown haired youth pull him up. The two friends of the man walked over to join in on the conversation, apparently also curious. He shook his head softly before looking back into the dark coloured eyes “I was self taught, I had no master” Riku said, rolling his shoulders back in hopes of making them feel better. The three looked at the person in front of them in shock, flabbergasted at the new information. “No way!” the youngest of the three said, throwing his hands up in the air in bewilderment. “That’s amazing! And you fight like a natural” Aqua said, looking at Riku with sincere in her eyes. Riku chuckled “I had time to learn” He said before turning to the brown haired man, “I’ve never got your name, didn’t I?”. Now that things are calm again Riku couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity towards the man, like he met him before long ago. 

Terra nodded before shortly answering “Terra”. Riku felt alarms ring in his mind at the name but couldn’t grasp who he is, which irritated the teen. “Terra, Aqua, Ventus” Riku said fondly, “Nice to meet you, I’m Riku”. The three smiled at him and Ventus opened his mouth to say something when two small black shadows jumped up in the air and headed towards the closet to them; Aqua and Terra. Riku’s eyes widened at this and instinctively rushed forward, extending out his arms.

“Watch out!” Riku managed to push both of them to the side as the Unversed slashed at the space where they should’ve been but wasn’t. He was about to pull out his keyblade once more when suddenly the two spawns of darkness took a sharp turn and headed right towards him angrily, catching the teen off guard. Two hard blows manage to catch him on the side of the head and already weakened, Riku fell to the ground hard. His vision became misty as everything around him seemed to go in slow motion. He saw Ventus destroy the remaining heartless as Aqua and Terra are above him, pleading for him to stay conscious. But he could already see the darkness filling up his vision as he was soon to grow unconscious.

‘Not…again” Riku thought before passing out on the ground, sleep enveloping him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it's really boring, and don't worry, the chapters won't always end up with Riku passing out! :D  
> I may change the way Riku meet's the three but it won't affect the story, just to let you know. :)  
> I still don't know how this site works... i'm having trouble putting a line break and italics :'D  
> Anyways, Thanks for reading!


	3. Realization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Kingdom Hearts  
> All rights go to Square Enix and Disney.

_“...do you think he’ll be okay?”_  
_“He should be fine– it was just a hit in the head, now back to important matters…”_  
_“You think we can trust him? I mean he did just came out of nowhere…”_  
_“Maybe we should ask him–”_  
_“Sshh! I think he’s waking up!”_

Riku opened his eyes slightly, wincing slightly at the sudden light above him. He blinked, adjusting to the light as he looked around his surroundings. Three figures surrounded him, one sitting on the foot of the bed he was on. Two taller figures were next to each other, leaning on the wall. Everyone watched as Riku slowly sat up, rubbing his head. 

“Are you okay?” Aqua asked him, it kinda reminded him of Kairi a bit when she would always chastise him and Sora for being so reckless back at the islands. He smiled, kind’ve a sad yet happy look. “I’m fine” Riku said. As he was now fully adjusted, he began to survey around the room. He was in fairly big room, though it lacked any special details, he still looked around awestruck. The room he was in seemed old yet bright, much more better than the looming dark buildings from the world he came from.

From where he _came_ from.

Riku, now realizing what was happening and is fully rested, shot up from the bed and put a hand to his head, panicking slightly. A hand stopped him from leaving the room and he turned around to see Ventus, a concerned look on his face. “Hey Hey! Slow down, what’s the matter?” Ventus asked, his hand still on his shoulder so Riku couldn’t move from where he was. He blinked twice before breathing deeply and looking back at the green-eyed teen in front of him.

“I need to get back to the world I was previously in” Riku stated, anxious to get back to his friends. _‘If I don’t get back in time Sora and Mickey could be in great danger!’_ Riku thought. Aqua and Terra looked at each other before nodding and locking their gaze back to the silver haired teen. “How could we help?” Terra said, a kind yet hard look in his eyes. Riku thought about it. Does he need their help? After all he’s an independant person– he can take care of himself. But then again he didn’t know the world he was on, so it would be hard to find a pathway back to The World That Never Was.  
“First of all–” Riku said, already walking towards the exit “What world is this?”. Ventus removed his hand from his shoulder only to cross them over his chest “Were in The Land of Departure, I’m guessing you’re new here?” Ventus said, his tone questioning. Riku stopped in his tracks, his hand resting on the doorknob. Where had he heard that name before? It seemed like a distant memory but if he just thought about it…

Riku’s eyes widened and he quickly turned around to face the confused trio. “We’re in _Castle Oblivion?_ ” Riku exclaimed looking around for any signs of danger. He wasn’t terrified at coming back but then again he had some bad memories in that place and he most certainly does not want the chance of possibly re-living them again. Riku was only met with confused looks as Aqua spoke up, “Castle Oblivion? What are you talking about?”. He was about to give an annoyed look when an idea struck him cold. What if…

“What year is it?” Riku whispered suddenly, praying that what he thought wasn’t true. The three looked at him weirdly at the random question but no one spoke up. After a few tense moments Terra opened up his mouth. “It’s 2000…” Terra said oddly as he watched the young teen’s eyes widen at the answer as his arms slowly move to wrap around himself, What’s wrong with him?

Riku though, was almost in a state of panic. His level-headed and calm exterior on his face gone as he processed the information. It made sense now that he thought back to when this whole ordeal started. How Young Xehanort -a _time leaper_ \- casted a spell on him during their fight, how he awoke in a strange place, how these people seem to work differently around here, how even the _heartless_ managed to change in this world, it was simply because he was in a different time period. (Explain in endnotes why this makes sense)

Aqua stepped forward, a concern look on her face. “Riku? What’s wrong?” She asked, putting a hand to his shoulder as he seems to be in a state of shock- his eyes opened wide as he hugged himself tighter, possibly in deep thought. The action seemed to bring him back to reality as his head snapped towards her to meet the calm light blue eyes on the young woman’s face. Riku then took deep breaths as he composed himself, eyes shut tightly before opening them again, a hint of sadness and determination in his eyes.

“You’re probably gonna think I’m crazy” Riku said, his eyes darting around the room. Ventus opened up his mouth to say something but one look from the two adults and he quickly shut his mouth. “Go on, Riku. We’re listening” Aqua encouraged, her voice sounding like mother talking to her own child. Riku couldn’t help but smile, it reminded him of Kairi. He nodded his head before speaking “I’m not from this time zone”. The audience hearing this statement brought out surprise and confusion from the look on their faces. They all looked at each other for a moment, as if having a silent conversation with each other, before turning back to the teen. “Explain” Terra said firmly.

And Riku did. He started off how about how he and another friend of his had to unlock all the seven sleeping worlds, skipping over most of the details. The party listened as Riku went on about how he suddenly showed up in a different world after unlocking the final world and the young being he faced as he was there, how he could be the answer to why Riku was here. “... then a time-kind-of spell surrounded me and the next thing I knew I was here” Riku finished, staring at one spot on the wall unmoving, thinking about his current predicament.

Terra, Aqua, and Ventus stared at the teen shocked while feeling sympathy for him. He’s been teared away from his friends who was in need for his help but unfortunately couldn’t and was now stuck in a place where he can’t even simply go back to where he came from. It was silent for a moment, no one knowing what to do as the teen stared dully at the wall, as if he was lost. Finally Terra put a hand on Riku’s back, breaking him away from the trance he was in.

“We’ll get you back, Riku” Terra said encouragingly “I promise”. Something seemed to change in the young man. His features were more soft and natural, not as on guard anymore. His sudden mood changed as Riku told his story. Riku smiled at this, feeling slightly better. “Thank you” Riku said, a sudden fill of determination seeping inside of him.

Ventus frowned “Hey...you didn’t mention the name of the man you fought, who was he?” Ventus asked. Riku looked at the voice, still feeling slightly awkward at how much similar he looked as Roxas and Sora. It was kind of nerve-grating. “He was a younger self that time leaped to my time. His name was-” Riku stopped, his train of thought breaking as he tried to remember the black-coated rouge’s name. Why couldn’t he remember? He should know his name, since that person was the core of all his problems but yet… 

“I-I can’t remember” Riku said worryingly “It’s like I remember every little thing that happened but there’s this gap in my memories that I can’t recall…”. Ventus felt sympathetic for him, he knew the feeling of not knowing the things he should know. He opened his mouth as if he was going to respond when his eyes widened at the time. “A-Aqua! Terra! It’s already morning! The Mark of Mastery exam is about to start!” Ventus exclaimed, waving his hands wildly. The two immediately stood up and were about to leave the room before stopping and turning to the now standing guest.

“Don’t worry about me right now, i’ll figure it out later” Riku said waving them off. They both nodded at this, “You should come along too, maybe you could relax your mind for a moment” Aqua offered. Riku thought about this before nodding. He could use a distraction for a minute. Finally the four ran out of the room, heading towards the main hall where two masters were waiting.

As they got closer the the main hall one of them caught his attention, causing Riku to falter a bit. The vibe he’s giving… something about it seemed off. His hunched posture and the balding head seemed okay but the fierce look in his golden eyes gave him a strange sense of nostalgia, and not a good one. Once they all stopped a few feet away from the masters and the apologies given from the two the hunched man caught his eye, a grin that sent shivers down his spine directed towards him.

“Oh? And who might this be?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay...i'm not really liking this chapter. It kind've died off at the end and was rushed because of writers block. I'm not even actually sure where i'm going with this story, it all started off with a What if? Nothing else. So sorry! This chapter might be re-edited if I have the time, so the next chapter might come in about 1 or 2 weeks :(! Tell me what you think in the comments! Thanks!


	4. Stray Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! Sorry for the long wait! I actually had this chapter ready for quite a while now but it just slipped my mind to post this! Anyways, enjoy!

Riku felt uneasy as the old master settled his eyes on him, as if he was already digging into his mind for his darkest secrets. The three did a small bow to the both of them before Ventus replied “That’s Riku, he helped us take out some unversed yesterday!”. The other master, with a purplish tint in his hair, smiled at him “Hello, young one. I am Master Eraqus, thank you for assisting the three, i’m taking that you also wield the keyblade?” The master said wistfully, surprising Riku at the correct guess he made. He grinned “What gave it away?” Riku said. Master Eraqus only stared at him with a strange look in his eye before turning back to the three.

“Aqua, Terra” He said standing up from the tall throne “It’s time to begin”

 

Riku and Ventus watched from the sidelines as the test takers stood in the middle of the room, waiting anxiously for the test that was about to come. Master Eraqus walked closer to the two as the other who Riku didn’t manage to get the name of sat on the other throne. Riku managed to spot Ventus next to him looking down as if something seemed to trouble him. He frowned at this, “Are you okay?” He asked. Ventus looked at him, a small smile appearing on his face suddenly. “Yea.. I’m fine” He replied before looking back at the three with anticipation. Riku discreetly looked at him weirdly before also paying attention to what was in front of him. Ventus kinda reminded him of Sora sometimes.

Master Eraqus looked at Aqua and Terra, a serious look on his face. “Today you will be examined for the Mark of Mastery” He said boldly “Not one but two of the Keyblade’s chosen stand here as candidates...but this is neither a competition nor a battle for supremacy– not a test of wills, but a test of heart.” The two straightened at this. “Both of you may prevail, or neither” He continued “But I’m sure our guest Master Xehanort–” _‘Oh, so that’s his name’_ Riku thought, storing that information into the back of his head. For some reason that name seemed oddly familiar to him. “–did not travel all this way to see our youngest prospects in years fall short of the Mark” Master Eraqus looked at the mentioned as Master Xehanort nodded his head in agreement. “I trust that you are ready”

“Yes!” Both Terra and Aqua simultaneously said, determination hinting at their tone. The old master smiled before bringing his Keyblade up, forming a stance. “Then let the examination begin!” He exclaimed moving his hand close to the Key’s Blade, casting a spell. Multiple balls of light appeared behind them and Riku couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment. Is this how they did their test? This was way more easier than what he has to do, He thought bitterly. Ventus smiled brightly as he watched his two friends ready their fight stance. But no one watched as the guest of the show twitched his hand around, mixing darkness into the light.

When this happened the rest of the party gasped in shock, wondering what just happened. But the young adults didn’t ponder on this for too long, already going after these spheres to destroy them. One of these spheres headed out of their way, coming towards both Riku and Ven.

“Ven! Riku!” The two yelled out, slashing at the spheres of light and dark. Riku was about to pull out Way to Dawn but Ven beat him to it, taking out his own Keyblade and smashing it to smithereens. “Don’t worry about us!” Ventus yelled “You two focus on the exam!”. “But Ven, you guys are in danger here!” Aqua argued, back to back with Terra as they were both surrounded “Go wait in your room!”. Both Ventus and Riku scowled, clearly not liking how she was patronizing them. “No way! I’ve been looking forward to this–” Ven said “Seeing you two become Masters. I’m not gonna miss it now!”. Riku nodded his head in agreement, calling out his Keyblade.

“They can take care of themselves” Terra said quickly, wanting to get this over with “Ven’s been out there training just as hard as us, and we’ve seen Riku in action”. “Yeah!” The two younger Keyblade wielders said, prepared to fight. Aqua thought about it for a second before sighing, defeated. “Stay sharp!” was all she said before jumping into the air and slashing at the sphere in front of her.

The two nodded before running into the battle, keyblades in hand. Riku stabbed at the orb of light closest to him, satisfied when it disappeared. He turned around to see one run right into him before it too disappeared with a bright flash. He looked to his left to see Ventus grinning at him before attacking the other orbs. Riku mentally thanked Ventus in his head before going after more of the tainted orbs. When a multitude of those things came heading towards him he jumped up, raising his Keyblade. “Strike Raid!” Riku yelled out and threw his blade forward watching as it spun sharply into the orbs. It went right through all of them, the spheres exploding in small residues of light, before returning back to his hand. He could’ve sworn he felt a heavy gaze fall on top of him but ignored it as more of the glowing spheres appeared right before him.

Riku managed to dodge the beaming lasers the spheres gave out suddenly, jumping over to the side before hitting it in it’s blind spot. He then spotted one of the few orbs left, it’s lasers beaming brightly as it got closer and closer to Terra who was occupied with taking on two of those things at once. “Watch out!” Riku yelled out and instinctively casted Dark Fiagra at the attacking orb. The flame managed to destroy the orb in time as Terra turned around quickly, defeating the two orbs. He nodded at the silver haired teen in appreciation which Riku smiled smally at. 

After that the place was empty, save the six Keyblade users. The non-masters smiled at each other, grateful for what they accomplished. “Nice work you guys!” Ventus exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air. The three smiled, “You did well too” Terra said to the younger male, his face glowing in happiness. The sound of someone clearing their throat caught everybody’s attention and they all looked at the source. Master Eraqus looked at them, a feeling of proudness stirring inside of him. The teens, realizing what’s happening now, quickly scrambled off to the side out of their way as both Terra and Aqua returned to their previous position in the middle.

“That was unexpected…” Eraqus trailed off, walking off the podium and getting closer to the two exam-takers “But one must keep a still heart even in the most trying of circumstances. It was an excellent test, one I chose to let unfold.” He paused for a second, as if either he was thinking about what to say next or for dramatic emphasis before saying “Which brings us to your next trial.”

 

Riku and Ventus watched in anticipation as Terra and Aqua stood feets away from each other, keyblade in hand. They stared at each other with a look of determination in their eyes as Eraqus explained the next task. “Now, Terra and Aqua, the two of you will face each other in combat” He said. Riku, although he may not look like it, was secretly giddy in the inside. He actually never saw a fight between two Keyblade wielders before, besides the battles where he was one of the players. This might be fun for once. 

“Remember, there are no winners” Master Eraqus reminded “Only truths, for when equal powers clash, their nature is revealed.” Terra jumped into a stance, staring down at Aqua who did the same. “Begin!” The master yelled. Instantly, the two wielders charged at each other, Keyblades raised high in the air.

Their Keyblades met head on, a metallic sound ringing in the air as Aqua jumped back from the force. Terra attempted to hit Aqua where she was temporarily distracted but she acted fast, spinning around and blocking the attack. This repeated before Terra used an overhand strike, using his strength as an advantage. The opposing player back flips to avoid the strike and continues as the brown haired man does a series of powerful blows. Stopping, Aqua ducked as the man’s Keyblade sweeps over her head, barely catching the top of her head before she retaliated, starting with an upper hand strike. Terra manages to avoid this attack before jumping back, avoiding the what could’ve been a deadly stab as it was only inches away from his face. Momentarily distracted, Aqua goes for the opportunity as she rushes forward, ready to strike. With nowhere to run Terra’s face contorts in anger as he unconsciously swung his hand to the side, a dark aura radiating from it. 

Riku gasped in shock, recognizing the dark color coming from the older man. Terra had just… was he also a dark user? Immediately Terra brought his hand up in shock at the cold feeling he got from it, dismissing it quickly as he managed to raise his keyblade up in time to block Aqua’s attack. The watchers of the battle noticed this inconvenience, many things going through their mind. Riku managed to catch the smirk Xehanort gave and he gritted his teeth at this behavior. Something seems very off about that man. The fight continued on as if nothing ever happened until Master Eraqus calls for a halt.

 

The two keyblade wielders once again stood in the middle, awaiting for the results of their exam. They both glanced at each other nervously before returning their eyes to the Master before them, who was walking closer to them. 

“We have deliberated and reached a decision” He said with finality. He stopped in the middle between the two thrones, everyone watching with hope and anticipation. “Terra, Aqua, you both performed commendably,” Eraqus said “However, only Aqua has shown the Mark of Mastery.” A noise of surprise came from the blue haired woman as Terra’s jaw dropped slightly at the announcement. Riku shook his head at this as Ventus visibly stood dumbfounded, feeling shock and remorse for his fellow friend.

“Terra, you failed to keep the darkness within you sufficiently in check” Eraqus said, a slight disappointment in his tone. Said person tightened his hands into a fist at the remark. “But, there is always a next time. That is all” He said. 

As Master Eraqus explained to Aqua the benefits she’ll get in her success Ventus slumped deeply, obviously in sadness for the failure of his friend. “I just can’t believe Terra didn’t pass…” Ventus said, shaking his head as if he could wipe away the thought. Riku couldn’t help but agree with him. After only the few moments he spent with the guy he could tell that Terra was a strong, independant guy. He deserved to pass the Mark of Mastery even if he made a small mistake with darkness, Riku thought sympathetically. Suddenly though at the mention of the two things it started to make him feel down again, remembering that he still has to finish his Mark of Mastery but can’t just because of that annoying pawn of darkness that Riku can’t even remember what his name was and–

He shook his head. Now was not the time to complain and sulk, for he has to find a way to fix this. When he looked back up he couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed as he saw that the two masters walking away after Eraqus’s little speech, leaving the rest of them behind. He followed after Ventus who immediately ran to Terra’s side who was still taking everything in.

“Terra…” Aqua said softly bringing a hand up to him as if she was going to grab his arm but stopped, bringing it back down. “Hey” Ventus said solemnly “Terra, I’m sorry.” Riku thought about if he should say something to but Terra has already beaten him to it. “The darkness...where did it come from?” He said, thinking out loud. Feeling like he should say something, Riku opened his mouth “You’ll be able to conquer it.”

Terra paused for a moment, as if he was thinking about his words before taking a step forward. “Sorry… but I need some time alone” He said quickly before walking away fully, out of their sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I know. It's not that good. Sorry I'm not really good at progressing stories.   
> -side note-  
> I'VE DIED OVER 100 TIMES IN SANS BATTLE AND I DIE AT THE EXACT SAME SPOT. the spinning lasers thing ;-; .  
> that was unrelated XD  
> anyways, please review!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys, sorry for the long wait. tbh i have no excuse, i just wasn't that motivated to write xD.
> 
> Enjoy this chapter :)

Riku ran through the endless halls not caring if he got lost. He had to find Terra, something deep down inside him was practically yelling at him that something was about to go wrong. A heavy door opening caught his attention and he backtracked a bit, looking down the stairs in front of him. A flash of black was seen exiting outside but he instantly knew who it was. Curious, he silently walked down and made his way to the exit. There was a slight aperture in between as it didn’t fully close and (reluctantly, after all he wouldn’t want to get in trouble for eavesdropping) Riku peeped through, careful to not get caught.

It was indeed the exit to outside the castle but he couldn’t see that much because of the hunched-figure in front of the doorway. His voice raspy in age but still quite chilling as he spoke to whoever he was talking too.

“The darkness is nothing to fear” Xehanort says, a proud feeling in his tone. Riku sneered a bit, not liking where this was going. A silence, before a familiar voice spoke up. “Master Xehanort…” the man trailed off. As the old master moves down the steps he manages to glimpse at the familiar spiky hair and began to put two and two together. Looks like he found Terra.

“And yet… how frustrating that Eraqus refutes it’s power” The aging master said “Why, you could train with him forever and still you’ll never be a master in his eyes.” Seemingly distraught by the answer Terra exclaims “But why? Help me understand, Master Xehanort. What is it that I have failed to learn?”

By now Xehanort has passed the young student and Riku could now see everything. He gritted his teeth. Something was _definitely_ wrong about this visitor, and he intended to get to the bottom of this.

Master Xehanort continues forward, not even bothering to look at the youth. “You’re fine as you are. Darkness cannot be destroyed. It can only be channeled” At this statement Terra straightened a bit, nodding his head in respect, “Yes. Thank you, Master.”

Just as Riku was about to jump into the conversation a loud bell was heard, it’s ancient ring startling both him and Terra. Immediately, Terra turned around and ran up the stairs causing Riku to panic slightly. Before the older youth sees him he quickly dashed to the left, flattening himself on the wall as he watches Terra running into the castle and up the stairs, not looking back. After a few seconds Riku relaxed, already planning to follow him to wherever he was going. Before leaving, he took one last look back at the door watching Xehanort walk away. The old man stopped, before craning his head to the side and meeting the boy’s stare. Nothing was done as the other gave a sinister smirk before a dark portal was open, taking the man with him.

It sent shivers down his spine.

 

“Riku!”  
Turning around, he saw the young keyblader run towards him. Slowing down slightly so that he may catch up, Riku looked at Ventus curiously, “Ven! What’s going on?” He asked. Ventus shook his head, “I don’t know, the bell usually rings when there’s an important announcement or something” he replied. Obviously it looked like he was bothered by something, and the silver teen has a feeling that it wasn’t the bell that bothered him. But Riku stayed silent, not wanting to pry. Instead he gave a knowing look and a nod before focusing on what’s in front of him. He honestly didn’t know where he was going, so he just followed Ventus’ lead.

They reached the throne room, where Eraqus and Aqua was. Instead of stopping like how Riku would’ve thought, Ventus pressed on forward as if he had a hunch that something was about to go wrong. Deciding quickly, he continued to follow the blond, stealing one last look towards the direction of the two keyblade masters. He managed to hear a snippet of their conversation before they were out of his vision.

_“I promise you, I will bring Terra back”_

 

Riku couldn’t help but let out a quiet cuss as he tripped over some hunk of metal that was laying around in the halls. Ventus, clearly too into his thoughts to notice, continued on, going out the big doors into the fields. He stumbled slightly, but otherwise didn’t fall. Turning around to cast a glare at the inanimate object the glare instantly turned into curiosity. He walked over to the piece of metal picked it up and examined it for a moment. It was fully gray with a tinge of yellow outlining the edges. Is it… armor? Riku thought. He remembered Terra and Ventus having one similar to this on their shoulder.

A sudden patter of feet coming towards his direction made him look up to see Aqua with Eraqus at her heels running towards the same direction Ventus went. Not bothering to drop it he quickly turned around and followed them, clutching the piece of metal in his right hand. “What’s going on, Aqua?” He asked as they ran at a brisk pace. She side-glanced at him for a second before turning her head forward once more. “I saw you and Ventus run past us as me and the master talked. When I saw the both of you… I had a strange feeling to follow you guys. Like something was wrong.” She paused as they took a left, getting closer to the exit. “Master Eraqus had the exact same feeling, so here we are. Is Ventus outside?”

Riku nodded. “This path only leads to the outside of the castle, i’m assuming he’s in the courtyard” he replied, quickly pushing the two massive doors in front of them open. (Honestly, what’s with royalty and their gigantic doors? What do they need to fit through there, boss monsters?)

Being the first person outside he managed to see Ventus run down the stairs and stop in front of Terra, who seemed to be in battle armor. Aqua and Eraqus followed his lead and the three watched from the top of the steps, knowing that they should not interfere just yet.

Terra, who summoned his keyblade just a few moments ago, swung to his right. He paused, his shoulders shaking as if whatever he was doing was a challenge before swinging the key back up towards the sky, light gathering at it’s tip. A ball of light then shot up into the sky causing a blackish-blueish portal to form from where it’s been shot. For a moment, Riku was afraid that the older man had opened this world to darkness. But his worries were cut short when Terra’s keyblade had managed to form into a mini hovership as he flew around Ventus, who only stood there in shock. He faced up towards the sky for a moment before skyrocketing into the dark portal, traces of dust flying around causing everyone to raise their arms to cover their eyes. When it cleared Terra was gone, no trace of him left behind.

As the two masters stared up to the sky in slight shock, Riku was the first to notice Ventus. The boy was looking down at the ground as if he was thinking hard about something before hitting the piece of armor on his left shoulder, a bright light catching everyone’s attention. When it died down, a black hovership was formed.

Aqua was the first to move, running past Riku as she tried to stop Ventus from leaving. “Wait, Ven!” She cried out. But it was too late, since by now he had already flown into the portal above. Riku and Eraqus followed after, the three gathering in the middle of where Ventus once stood.

“No! He mustn't!” Eraqus finally said, for he was silent throughout the whole ordeal. Master Eraqus turned towards Aqua and him, a look of slight fear portrayed on his face. “You have to bring him back!” He informed Aqua, who nodded in reply. “Don’t worry, master!” she said uttered. Before Aqua took a step forward Riku put a hand to her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. “I’m coming with you” he said, his tone basically saying that there’s no way she can stop him. Aqua looked at him for a moment before giving a small smile. She glanced down at the piece of metal he had in his hand (which he forgot he still had it at this point). “That shoulder plate you have? Slide it up your left arm then hit it on the surface.” She informed before doing what she had just said. A flash of light then the next thing she was covered in a dark blue and purple suit, keyblade out.

Riku followed soon after, sliding it up his arm then cuffing it softly, a flash of light appearing just like the other three. Soon after he found himself in a suit similar to Aqua’s, except it was a blue shade darker and outlined with streaks of gold. A black visor covered his face and he couldn’t help but grin in delight. Wait till Sora sees him now. That thought had darkened his mood for a second before his shook his head, looking at Aqua for the next step.

“Fast learner” she mused before throwing her keyblade up to the air. He watched in awe as it quickly shifted into a hovership similar to Terra’s. She jumped and landed on the flat end of it, gripping on the handles it had. She stared as Riku did what she did, his keyblade shifting into a style more like Ven’s. He jumped up and landed safely on it, stumbling a bit before the magnets on the bottom of his feet latched onto the board stabilizing him. He took a moment to assess himself before looking back to her with a quick nod. “I’m ready” he said through the black visor. She could tell he was excited about this judging by his stance and looked up to the portal with an amused smile on her face. _‘Boy’s’_ she thought before saying “let’s go.”

Together they flew into the dark abyss as the Master down below shook his head, thinking about his young student. _Please…_ he thought _Do not stray from the path of the light._

 

He wonders why in his own time they don’t travel like this anymore.

Flying just a few feet away from Aqua he focused on the feel of the hoverboard. It was like riding a skateboard and although he doesn’t have anything to steer with like Terra or Aqua’s mini ship, he can just guide it just fine by leaning towards the desired direction. If he was new to this whole adventure thing, he would probably be whooping in joy from this. But he composed himself, instead thinking about the task they were given. Why would Terra just run away like that? More importantly why did Ventus just followed him like that? Well Riku didn’t have to think to hard on the last question– he probably would have done the same if it was Sora or Kairi.

“Let’s check this world, it’s the closest to The Land of Departure” Aqua said, pointing towards a world that was mostly green. He vaguely wondered how he was able to hear her but ignored it, turning his ship towards the nature-like planet.

But when he did a voice whispered in his head, if he was thinking about anything else he probably would’ve missed it but he heard it. It was faint, a low-voice blocking out anything he should be thinking about. _Travel...ahead...stray...aWaY._ His vision blurred and he felt his eyelids droop a bit, as if he was in a haze. Inwardly, he felt sick to his stomach. What was going on? Why can’t he–

His vision turned from blurry to darkening and he felt himself drift away from his original destination, felt himself travel farther away to a new place. He tried to call out for Aqua, to tell her that _hey I seem to be moving away from you._ But she was too far already, not noticing the teen. It was like someone was piloting his body, since it seemed like he was trying to go to a specific destination. He became dizzy, and soon enough he closed his eyes, hoping that whatever mysterious force that’s taking him away will go away soon and slowly succumbed to unconsciousness. At the last second, however, he heard a sentence that made his blood run cold.

_FinD OuT tHe TrUth of The LOst HErOeS._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it may seem weird at the end. Who the heck was that voice? How did Riku lose control of his body for like a moment? You'll find out soon ;)
> 
> sorry if it seems kinda rushed, i was having a hard time thinking about what to do at the end


	6. not a chapter

Hey everyone, sorry but this isn't a chapter.

I know that after almost a year i come back wiyh a note, which sucks.

But the thing is that I've realized a lot of things.

First; no i'm not giving up on this story, well kinda. I realized that by looking back to my chapters, there are many mistakes which i cringe about. I don't think i wrote certain chapters canon like, and personally some parts just seem iffy. I've thought about this a lot and I've finally reached a conclusion, which beings up my second announcement.

I'm going to rewrite the whole story.

Not a lot of people is reading this story, but the ones who are I'm very sorry for changing everything! I think my writing has gone better over the months and I think I finally have a good grasp on what Kingdom Hearts is.

I'll leave this story up until I can write up at least the first two chapters of the story, then I'll be deleting this one. 

Thank you for your time, and have a good day.

PS: I'm so shook over kingdom hearts 2.8, it looks so amazing! Also, the bit at the end of 0.2 gave me more ideas and references.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry it's so short! I promise i'll try to make it longer the mect chapter! :) Sorry if it looks weird or its confusing too im still new to this site


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